Unmanned remote controlled aerial vehicles, such as quadcopters, continue to grow in popularity for both their commercial applications as well as recreational uses by hobbyists.
Another technology area with challenges has been power supply. Aerial vehicles are commonly powered by one or more batteries. After a battery loses its charge, a user may desire to swap out the battery, so that the aerial vehicle may continue to be flown without having to first recharge the battery. Consequently, a battery which can be removed quickly and easily is advantageous. Furthermore, some batteries swell or warp over time or when heated, which can make removal of a battery difficult.
As the popularity of aerial vehicles increases, an example area of technology that has been found susceptible to damage is assemblies for propeller blades. The propeller blades of an aerial vehicle may be susceptible to damage due to their light weight and high rate of rotation. Furthermore, due to their fragility, a user may wish to detach propellers prior to transporting the aerial vehicle. However, removing and attaching propeller blades may be time consuming or even impossible with existing aerial vehicles. Furthermore, many aerial vehicles require tools to remove propellers, which is inconvenient. Thus, it is advantageous to provide a propeller coupling assembly with easily replaceable propellers.
Additionally, during operation, processors, sensors, motors, and/or other electronics in aerial vehicles may overheat. Overheating may cause damage or cause electronics to behave sub-optimally. Aerial vehicles may need to carry heavy payloads or run computationally expensive image processing algorithms, exacerbating the overheating issue. Thus, a reliable means of cooling the aerial vehicle to offset the heat generated by the electronics may be advantageous.